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Chapter Two

Old Friends

It wasn't any surprise that half way to the restaurant the skies opened up and unleashed their misery. Zora mentally cursed herself for not having the foresight to carry an umbrella or wear a waterproof coat. Placing a hand on her swollen abdomen, she jogged across the semi-busy street. Her feet had barely hit the curb when the red light that had allowed her to cross turned green. Past experience had taught her to get as far away from the curb as possible, unless she wanted to wear muddy water, which she did not. Sure enough, a large truck sent a spray of muck flying onto the sidewalk. A man who had crossed the street behind her shouted obscenities as he brushed sludge from his khaki pants.

"Common sense, my man, common sense," she mused to herself. It didn't take a genius to know something large and fast would send water flying in all directions. Everyone knew. Except the man behind her. She ducked into the restaurant, shivering a bit. Funny, how she hadn't been cold out in the rain, but the moment she hit a warm interior, she was frozen. Scanning the room for a familiar face, she smiled when she found it. Her grin only grew as she made her way to the booth where Chad was seated, reading a newspaper. Pressing the paper down, she forced her face into a serious expression. "Reading the New York Times while in L.A. is just wrong."

Chad looked up, frowning. It took him a moment, then he grinned. "Zora!" Standing, he engulfed her in an awkward hug, mindless of his spotless attire and her damp one. "Look at you, putting on the pounds, I see."

Zora laughed, placing both hands on her stomach. "Yes. Got another two months to pack 'em on, too. I think this one is going to be a boy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I'm carrying him up high. Which Tawni and Sonny both swear that means it's a girl, but I don't. I promised Hollaway a son this time, and by golly I'm going to give him a son!" Sliding into the opposite side of the booth from where Chad had been sitting, she grimaced. "You would think they would take pregnant women in consideration when making these damn things."

Chad smiled faintly. He looked like he wanted to ask something, but then changed his mind. "How have you been? Other than toting another human being around?"

"Just peachy. I replaced Marshall after he retired from So Random! After basically all of us retired from the show." It had been strange at first. Taking Marshall's position when she was named the co-executive. There hadn't been anyone else to fill the void, though. So, she had stepped up.

"Oh yeah? How's that going?" Chad leaned back in the booth, smiling that charming dimpled grin he always smiled. He hadn't changed much. The only difference was the air of maturity around him.

"Well..you know. The gang's the gang. We haven't changed too much." She had sent him an email saying as much. As with most of the emails she sent him, he never responded.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't respond. Keeping busy. Work. Kylie." His voice softened a bit when saying his daughter's name.

Zora nodded. The one constant in his emails was Kylie. There had been pictures attached a couple times. Pretty girl with long strawberry blond hair and large blue eyes. It was hard to say who she looked like. Zora didn't see Chad or Portlyn. Hollaway had one time made the remark that she looked bit like Sean, another cast mate of Mackenzie Falls. This was ridiculous, because Kylie was Chad's daughter. "So, how's she taking it? You moving out here?" It hadn't been an easy choice, she knew that from his email. He just couldn't take being in the same town, the same state, as Portlyn. Their divorce had not gone smoothly. Chad had admitted to having at least one affair. A co-worker. He wasn't proud of that, he had just wanted to feel like he mattered to someone. Someone who didn't act as though he was their personal puppet.

"Not too happy about it. I just...couldn't stay, you know?" Chad sighs, taking a sip of his coffee. "She's sick, Zora."

"Who? Kylie?" she asked, frowning. She had known there was a reason for this lunch. "By sick, you mean sore throat, achy head, right?"

"I wish. She's got A.L.L.," Chad stared at something behind her. No. Not something, nothing. He was lost in thought. About Kylie, no doubt.

"I'm sorry. How long have you known?" Zora lays a hand on her stomach. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. Whenever her two year old daughter, Eva so much as coughed she worried. To find out she had leukemia, even if it was acute lymphocytic, she couldn't grasp how terrifying that had to be. Yes, the cure rate was high. Upwards of 90% with medication. Still, it was scary.

"For a while. We've been through everything. Chemo. Even went the bone marrow route. Some fancy thing where they reuse her own marrow. God, I've heard the name of the procedure so many times...I can't remember what it's called," he chuckled sadly. "I should know what it's called. I do know what it's called. Just isn't coming to me right now."

Zora reached across the table. She took a hold of his hand. "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't mean much. It wouldn't mean much to me if..if I was in your shoes. Are...are they saying you're out of options?" It sucked. It sucked beyond all reason that Kylie had to be in that 10 who didn't respond to treatment the way she should.

"Aside from suggesting Portlyn and I have another child for the sole purpose of donating their marrow to Kylie, not really. I couldn't stay, Zora. I know that makes me a coward, but I just...I couldn't stay there and watch my little girl die." His voice was thick, his eyes blurry with unshed tears.

Biting her lip, Zora looked at their intertwined hands. "Do...do they think a sibling would help?" Her heart was pounding. This wasn't her place. This wasn't her decision. Yet, she couldn't sit here, knowing what she knew, and not say something.

"Yeah, but...I can't do it Zora. I can't bring another child into this world just...just because...you know? And I sure as hell don't want another reason for Portlyn to bitch at me." There was a resigned tone to his voice. As though he had given up hope.

Zora took a deep breath. "Oh God, forgive me," she whispered quietly. "Chad, I think you need to talk to Sonny."

Chad let out a rueful laugh. "Unless Sonny's a miracle worker, I don't think we would have much to say to each other. We didn't exactly part on amicable terms."

This wasn't her place. She hated being in the position she was in. The position where she had to pick a side. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Chad, her eyes full of anguish. "When..when you left L.A., Sonny...Sonny was pregnant. She was four months pregnant. And...I think...no...I know...I know that her daughter belongs to you."

A/N: Thank you for the reviews and the favorites. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, although I doubt it. This chapter sort of foreshadowed what's to come. I promise I'll update more quickly next time. Thank you once again! And I really wouldn't mind if you reviewed. :P